Preliminary estimates for August indicate that the index rose by 1.6 per cent (on a monthly average basis) in SDR terms, after declining by 1.3 per cent in July (revised). The largest contributor to the increase in August was the price of iron ore. The base metals subindex rose in the month while the rural commodities subindex declined. In Australian dollar terms, the index increased by 1.5 per cent in August. Over the past year, the index has declined by 11.5 per cent in SDR terms, largely driven by declines in the prices of bulk commodities. The index has declined by 13.6 per cent in Australian dollar terms over ... (full story)